The present invention relates generally to interior building systems, and, in particular, to a system having a composite soft fiber baseboard that can support itself with minimal sag.
Conventional suspended ceiling systems found in offices, retail stores and similar commercial settings typically include suspended grids which support acoustically absorbent soft fiber tiles. These systems typically span the length of the room, i.e. are continuous, and create a uniform appearance. While such continuous suspended systems provide a pleasant and acoustically absorbent space, designers, architects and building owners often object to the use of these systems for several reasons, including lowered ceiling height and cost of materials to accommodate the entire span. As a result, more and more interior building spaces have open-plenum, or open-loft, ceiling designs in which at least a substantial portion of the hard ceiling, HVAC duct work, wiring and the like are exposed. The open-plenum design, however, tends to leave the space unstructured and, consequently, less useful and less aesthetically pleasing.
Several attempts have been made in the open-plenum interior building environment to differentiate the space and provide aesthetic appeal. One emerging market is the accent canopy market. Examples of existing accent canopy systems include INFUSIONS Accent Canopies by Armstrong World Industries, Inc. The INFUSIONS Accent Canopies include a flexible panel structure and hanging members which support the flexible panel structure. In addition, biasing member cooperate with the flexible panel to maintain the panel in a flexed, generally curved, configuration. Unfortunately, the INFUSIONS panels are formed of polymeric materials which have no sound absorbing capabilities.
What is needed is a product for use in an open-plenum design, which differentiates and accents the space, and, at the same time, includes sound absorbing capabilities of conventional mineral fiber tiles.